Computing level



L. A. BARNETT COMPUTING LEVEL Dec. 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed sept. 23, 1947 INVENTOR. BY 2M/@ Zw /V/r/fa/ys Dec. 19, 1950 L.. A.- BARNETT 2,534,216

COMPUTING LEVEL Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED PATENT OFFICE COMPUTING LEVEL Lewis A.V Barnett, Asheville N G- Application September 23, 1947, Serial No. 775,571

2 Claims.

This invention relatesl to the measurement and registering of elevations and angles,

An obieotoi the invention is to produce a level for measuring elevations and angles of inclination of objects or portions thereof.

Another object of the: invention is to produce a computing level which shall be adjustable to any elevation or angle from Zero to ninety de-v gI'BeS,

A .further object of the invention is t provide a computing level having spirit level glasses of the usual type, will register both level and plumb ln the usual. manner,

Another object of the invention is to produe a computing level having novel features of construction by means of which it is capable of being mounted in a level stock for ready and convenient use Whenever required,

Another object of the invention is to provide an instrument or level in which the spiritl levels are disposed on a movable support with an angle of ninety degrees between the levels, with manual means for moving the support angularly on a frame to some elevation or angle other than level or plumb and for returning the support to initial position or to some other desired angular posi tion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a registering computing level having moving parte and carrying a table of heures and indicatore which oo-eet with a pointer on the frame whereby the use to be made of the registered angle may be determined from the table of iigures which correlate the conjunction of the pointer with the indicators.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved means and construction for easily and accurately adjusting and manipu lating the moving parts of the instrument during use thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentr from the following description of a preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and

in which:

Figure 1 is a iront elevation of my improved computing level instal-led in position in a level stock or the like and ready for use. the stock being shown in ijragment.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the level shown in Figure l, but with the outer cover plate and protecting glass plate removed to expose the operating mechanism to view, the view being partly sectioned for further clarity.

Vbers,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure el is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 1 -ll of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective View of the pointer, and

Figure 6 is a face detail View of the movable disk. Referring now to the drawings, a levely stock 2 4is provided at some position along its length, preferably in the center, with a eut-out lateral `aperture; d extending entirely through the stock from its :front to rear face. Within this cut-out portion 4, which as illustrated is substantially rectangular in cross section, is positioned a oomputing level vsupport frame 6 having left and right side members 8 and lil as seen in Figure 2, `and top and bottom members i2 and I4, the trame being preferably molded in one integral piece of metal or other suitable material, for strength and rigidity. It is thus noted that the top, bottom and sides of the frame form a substantially rectangular chamber I6 therein, within which mechanism is positioned asY described below.

is best seen in Figures 2l and 3 a pair of upstanding bearing members it and 2li are supported on or molded; integral with the upper surface 22. oi bottom member I4 of the frame 6, .the members It 2 9 being spaced from and parallel to each other as shown, and having .axially aligned bores 2e and 25 for the reception of e pivot sin 2S a slotted head 3B and having its end. Slg4 threaded into bore 24. As, illustrated, the shank of the pivot pin 2t is slightly greater in diameter than the threaded end portion S2 of the so that bore 25 is unthreaded and slightly greater in diameter than bore 24..

The disk Se, which as shown is roughly in the shape of a quadrant of a circle, with an aperture 3,5 substantially at the intersection of the sides of the quadrant, is journaled between bearing mem.-

IB and EG with pivot pin 28 extending through aperture Sie and pivotally supporting the disk, As best seen in Figures 2 and 6, the disk 34 has a downward extension 38 with a transe verse aperture le near the vlower end thereof, the extension all forming, will be further eX- plained,` a orar-il; arm for exerting force for pivotine the about niv-ot pin 2,3.

A connecting roel fit has biiuroated. end porn tions te and t having aligned transverse holes #it and 5d in the bifurcations, The aperture@ lower end of extension 38 extends between. the

bifurcations of end portion 44 of the connecting rod 42, with the holes 5K3 in axial alignment with aperture 4!) in the disk, a pivot pin 52 extending through the aligned holes 4B and 50 and having the ends of the pin 52 peined or otherwise treated to retain it in place, with extension 33 of the disk thus pivotally mounted on the pivot 52.

The other bifurcated end portion 4E of the connecting rod 42 is similarly pivotally connected to one end 54 of the disk position adjusting shaft 56 which extends through a lateral bore 58 in left side member 8 of the frame 6, the end 54 of the shaft having an aperture 6B through which and the aligned holes 48 in the connecting rod, a pivot pin 62 extends.

Position adjusting shaft 55 has its cylindrical middle and left end portions as seen in Figures 2 and 4, threaded into engagement with a knurled disc position adjusting knob 64 having a matching threaded bore 66.

A tension spring 68 has one end engaging the edge 'l of the disk and the other end engaging the edge l2 of frame side member 8, thus serving to bias the disk counter-clockwise on pivot 28 against the clockwise pull of disk position adjusting shaft 55. Accordingly, the disk may be rotated about pivot 28 by merely turning adjusting knob 64, the direction of its rotation being determined by the direction of rotation of knob 64, the spring 68 operating to take up any slack, the disk being hence held in an;7 position, turning out of said position only when knob S4 is turned.

The edges 'HJ and 'E4 of the disk are cut out at 'i6 and 'i8 respectively to provide visibility from both faces of the level stock of the spirit level glasses 8i) and 82 which are secured to these edges by screws 84 as shown. An indexing pointer 88 is fastened to the lower surface of top member l2 of the frame 6 by means of screws extending through elongated apertures S in the pointer 88, the apertures being elongated as shown, to permit adjustment of the position of the pointer. A second pointer S2, identical in construction to pointer 88, is similarly secured to the lower surface of top member l2, but on the opposite side of the edge oi disk 313, as best seen in Figure 3, so that a pointer is available and visible when either side of the disk is used.

Graduations 94 are provided along and slightly spaced from the curved edge $35, so that the exact position of the pointer may be determined by inspection of the corresponding graduations. The disk 35i has a lug 93 on one edge to bear against a ledge les formed in a corner of frame 6 when near the zero pointer graduation, a screw H32 being threaded into a bore in the ledge for adjusting the zero position of the disk, the slotted head of the screw H32 being accessible from the outside of the level stock through a hole |84 in the stock.

Each face of the device is provided with a substantially rectangular transparent cover plate |96 of glass or other suitable material, sheet |88 of thick black paper or other material being placed between each glass cover plate and the frame 8 to protect and cushion the glass, the paper being cut out to allow the scales of the disk and the pointers and the spirit levels to be seen through the glass. Fastening strips llt, of metal or other material, and having holes along their edges, hold the glass cover plates |06 and paper sheets |38 in place, being secured to the frame l by screws H2 threaded into matching holes in the frame.

The graduated scale 94 is preferably placed attached to the on both faces of the disk 34 so as to allow readings to be taken from either side, and also to allow, if desired, the front face of the scale as seen in Figures 1 and 2 to be used for angles from Zero to degrees, and the rear face of the scale to be used for angles from 45 to 90 degrees. As illustrated, the scales and graduations find particular utility in connection with framing. In use, the level is placed in position against the part whose angle of inclination is to be measured, and the adjusting knob E4 turned until either of the spirit levels shows level, the position of pointer 8B relative to the scale of graduations 94 then giving the exact elevation in twelve inches or the exact feet in twelve feet. For example, if the bead in the level glass is in the center of the glass, and the figure one on scale e4 is directly under pointer 88, then the elevation is one inch in twelve inches or three degrees and forty-ve minutes from zero. The square table on the dial of disk 34 may, with indicating lines H2 leading from the graduations to the square table, be employed to show the length of rafter for a building with the comb of the roof in the center of the building, the spaces in the table being properly i'illed in. The graduations, table and ndicating lines are merely illustrative, inasmuch as other types oi data and tables may be disposed on the opposite faces of the dial of disk 34.

Although the invention has been described in specic terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a computing level comprising a frame normally disposed in a vertical plane, a segmental plate pivoted at the apex thereof to be movablelin a vertical piane about the pivotal mounting thereof, a stationary pointer upon the frame in effective position to have the arcuate edge of the segmental plate at all times disposed in ref-- erence position thereto, and graduations located along said arcuate edge on said plate beneath said pointer, the improvements which include having the frame substantially rectangular and open with end members and horizontal top and bottom frame members with` the pointer tcp fra-me member and the pivotal mounting of the segmental plate disposed upon the bottom fr ne member, having the segmental plate quadrant shaped with two bubble levels fixed at the tivo radial edges oi said segmental plate at right angles to each other, the pivotal mounting ci the quadrant shaped segmental plate aliowing it to be partly rotated upon said pivotal msnm 'rom a zero position in which one ra is substantially parallel with the bottom tion in which the less than a right angle to said bottom frame member, an integral extension or lug depending from the apex portion of said segmental plate in alignment with one radial edge or" the latter, endwise adjustal e screw extending rotatably through one end Lame member with a rotatable nut screwed the outer end exteriorly of said one end frame m. =er and having an apertured lug upon the inner end within the latter end frame member, and a link above the bottom frame member which is bifnreated at both ends and pivotally connected at one bifurcated end to said integral extension or lug upon said segmental plate and at the other bifurcated end pivotally connected to the apertured lug on the inner end of said screw.

2. In a computing level comprising a frame normally disposed in a vertical plane, a segmental plate pivoted at the apex thereof to be movable in a vertical plane about thepivotal mounting thereof, a stationary pointer upon the frame in elective position to have the arcuate edge of the segmental plate at all times disposed in referencerposition thereto, and` giaduations located along ysaid arcuate edge on, said plate beneath saidv,;,poiter, the improvements which include having :the frame substantially rectangular and openfwith end frame members and horizontal top and bottom frame members with the pointer attachedffto the top frame "member and the pivotalL mounting of the segmental plate disposed upon the-bottom frame member, having the segmentalplate quadrant shaped with two bubble levels fixed at the two radial edges of said segmental plate at right angles to each other, the pivotal mounting of the quadrant shaped segmental plate allowing it'to be partly rotated upon said pivotal mounting from a zero position in which one radial edge is substantially parallel with the bottom frame member to another posinected to the apertured lug on the inner end of said screw, and a tension spring above said link connected at one end to said one end frame niember and to the segmental plate at the other end tion in which the other radial edge is disposed at less than a right angle to vsaid bottom frame Y endwisel adjustable screw extending rotatably through'one end frame member with a rotatable thereof adjacent the radial edge of said plate with which said extension or lug is aligned.

LEWIS A. BARNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 778,867 Kern, Jr. Jan. 3, 1905 931,769 Knoll r Aug. 24, 1909 1,114,480 Jensen Oct. 20, 1914 1,555,254 Proctor Sept. 29, 1925 1,914,081 Crisp June 13, 1933 2,358,010 Holmes Sept. 12, 1944 2,423,317 Holton July 1, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,412 Great Britain 1912 

